Ezekiel · Chapter 31

[ edit] And it is maad in þe elleuenþe ȝeer, in þe þridde moneþ, in oon of þe moneþ, þe word of þe Lord is maad to me, ſeiynge, Sone of man, ſey þou to Pharao, kyng of Egipt, and to his puple, To whom art þou maad lijk in þi greetnes? Loo! Aſſur as a cedre in Liban, fayr in braunches, and bouwis ful of wode, and heiȝ in heiȝþe; and þe top þerof is reiſid vp amonge þicke bouwis. Watris nurſhiden hym, depnes areyſide hym; þe flodis floweden in cumpas of his rootis, and he ſente out his ſtrondis to alle þe trees of þe cuntree. Þerfor his heiȝnes is reiſid vpon alle þe trees of þe cuntre; and his tendre trees ben multiplied, and his braunchis ben reyſid vp, for manye watris.

And whanne he ſtrauȝte forþ his ſhadewe, alle þe volatils of heuen maden neſtis in his braunchis; and alle beeſtis of wijlde wodis gendreden vnder his bouwis, and þe cumpanye of ful many folkis dwellide vndre þe ſhadewynge place of hym. And he was mooſt fayr in his greetnes, and in ſpredynge of tendre trees; forſoþe his root was biſyde many watris. Cedris weren not heiȝer þan he in paradiſe of God; bechis weren not euen to his heiȝnes, and platan trees weren not euen to his bouwis. Eche tree of paradiſe of God is not maad lijc to hym, and to his fayrnes. For Y made hym fayre, and wiþ manye and þicke bouwis; and alle þe trees of voluptee, þat weren in paradiſe of God, ſueden hym.

Þerfor þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God, For þat þat he is reyſid in hiȝnes, and Y ȝaue his heiȝnes waxynge grene and þicke, and his herte is lift vp in his hiȝnes; now Y haue bitake hym in to þe hoondis of þe ſtrengeſt of folkis. He doynge ſhal doo to hym; after þe vnpite of hym Y caſtide hym out. And aliens ſhulen kitte hym doun, and þe mooſte cruel men of naciouns ſhulen caſte hym fer vpon mounteynes. And his braunchis ſhulen falle doun togidre in alle valeys, and his tendre trees ſhulen be brokyn togider in alle þe rooches of erþe. And alle puplis of erþe ſhulen goo awey fro his ſhadewynge place, and ſhulen forſake hym.

Alle volatilis of heuene dwelliden in his fallynge, and alle beeſtis of þe regioun weren in his braunchis. Wherfor alle trees of watris ſhulen not be lift vp in her heiȝnes, neþer ſhulen putte her heiȝnes amonge wody þingis, and ful of bouwis, neþer alle þingis þat ben moyſtid wiþ watris ſhulen ſtoonde in þe heiȝnes of hem. For alle men ben bitaken in to deeþ, to þe vtmooſt loond in þe mydil of ſones of men, to hem þat goon doun in to þe lake. Þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God, In þe day þat Y ladde in mournynge in hellis, Y hillide hym wiþ depnes, and forbedde þe floodis of hym, and conſtreinede many watris. Liban is debroken on hym, and alle trees of þe feeld ben ſmyten togidre.

Of þe ſoun of his fallynge Y mouede togidre folkis, whanne Y ledde forþ hym to helle, wiþ hem þat wenten doun in to þe lake. And alle loweſt trees of voluptee, noble and ful cleer in Liban, ben coumfortid in erþe, and alle þat weren moyſtid in watres. For whi and þei wiþ hym ſhulen gon doun in to helle, to þe ſlayn men in ſwerd; and þe arme of eche man ſhal ſitte vndre þe ſhadewynge place of hym, in þe mydil of naciouns. To whom art þou maad lijc, A! þou noble and heiȝe amonge trees of voluptee? Loo! þou art led forþ wiþ trees of voluptee to þe laſt loond, or vtmeſt. In þe mydil of vncyrcumcidid men þou ſhalt ſlepe, wiþ hem þat ben ſlayn wiþ ſwerd.

He is Pharao, and al þe multitude of him, ſeiþ þe Lord God.